Christmas is fast approaching, which means the season of family feasts and holiday vacations are almost upon us as well. If you’re one of those families who would take a trip to the highlands to enjoy the cold holiday nights, but couldn’t because of enforced quarantine rules, here’s a humble suggestion: maybe you can have a piece of the highlands delivered to you instead.
Yep, we mean those delightful desserts that staked their claim to fame in provinces up north: Benguet, the Cordilleras, and Ilocos.
After all, we’re already well into this new normal, so we might as well continue changing things up by instead opting for these northern sweet treats this Christmas!
Strawberry shortcake from Vizco’s
We just had to have this famous dessert kick off this list, because nothing says you’ve gone up to the north better than a box of Vizco’s strawberry shortcake. The hype is infectious, and why shouldn’t it be?
Luckily, we’ve found an online reseller that isn’t a provincial-bus-ride away: Love, Strawberry. Just like the original store in Porta Vaga, they are selling the dessert in 6” and 8” sizes, for PhP1,080 and PhP1,375 each respectively. They also offer Vizco’s Mango Cakes, Ube Cakes, and Carrot Cakes, all shipped straight from Baguio.
According to the store, regardless of when orders are placed during the week, they usually arrive at Metro Manila on Saturday evenings. That means they come just in time for your Sunday breakfast!
Message Love, Strawberry’s Facebook page to place your cake orders.
Lemon pies from Lemon Pie House
True Sagada fans know the cold, quiet town isn’t just a great place to go soul-searching — it’s also a great place to get a tasty and tangy plate of lemon pie, preferably from Sagada Lemon Pie House.
Fortunately, even if we can’t drive to Sagada to “look for ourselves,” at least we can order Sagada’s signature lemon pies from an online seller, The Fruit Ninja.
They sell this yummy Sagada dessert at PhP550 a box. They also sell other sweet produces from Benguet such as fresh strawberries, lemons, and oranges.
If you can’t make it to their outlet store in Malabon, you can have your orders delivered via preferred couriers instead. Just message their Facebook page to see their selections of treats from the north and to place your order.
Cream puffs from Victoria Bakery
When you mention Victoria Bakery to Baguio locals, only one delicacy comes to mind: freshly-baked cream puffs. Now, you can get a box of these bite-sized goodies here in Metro Manila through Hezekiah’s Sari-Sari Service.
The cream puffs come in an original custard, chocolate, ube, matcha, pandan, and melon variants. You can get them in boxes of 8 (PhP330 for all-original, PhP450 for assorted) or in boxes of 12 (PhP430 for all-original, PhP470 for assorted).
You can place your order through their Facebook page on or before every Monday at 12NN, and expect to receive it by the following Thursday.
Ube jam from Good Shepherd
Okay, so Baguio’s ube jam isn’t technically a dessert in itself, but we won’t miss the opportunity to feature the OG pasalubong place, Good Shepherd.
While there are already a host of resellers here in Metro Manila, nothing beats buying the stuff straight from the source: Mountain Maid and Bahay Pastulan, both of which are managed by Good Shepherd Convent. That’s because not only do they have ample stock of Good Shepherd goodies, but they also continue to use the profits to support scholars from the Cordillera.
Just fill out their order form, wait for your order to be confirmed, and proceed to pay for them. They deliver only every Wednesday and Saturday.
Royal bibingka from Marsha’s Delicacies
Well, it is the Christmas season we’re preparing for anyway, so why not complete this list with some classic royal bibingka from Ilocos? Of course, there’s no better place to buy them from than Marsha’s Delicacies, who prepares batches after batches of hot and fresh bibingkas straight from Ilocos.
That’s right: this time, there’s no reseller, and the bibingkas you buy come directly from the kitchen of Marsha’s Delicacies. Ever since going back to business last July, Marsha’s Delicacies has opened pick-up slots every end of the month. It makes sense: travel restrictions are making transit slightly harder, and hey, these treats come way, way, way from Ilocos!
Luckily, we’re nearing the end of the month, so be sure to check Marsha’s Delicacies on Facebook to know when the next order date is.
Which of these desserts do you miss the most? And more importantly, which one are you getting ASAP?
